Point-To-Point Marketing, an industry-leading audience development company, teamed up with Strategic Solutions Research, a full-service market research firm, to conduct audio usage research focused exclusively on U.S. workers. This national study of workers’ audio consumption, perceptions, expectations, and desires will be the first-ever of its kind.
The companies have partnered up in order to provide the audio industry greater insight into workers who are heavier users of audio and radio, and part of that collaboration will include a webinar series titled “What Workers Want” conducted by Tim Bronsil, CEO of Point-To-Point, and Hal Rood, EVP/Partner of Strategic Solutions Research.
On Thursday, they presented the first webinar in a series of three. Some headlines:
- Listeners perceive themselves as listening MORE to local radio today than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- “This is where there is a disconnect between perceptions by listeners and what may be printing for an individual station,” Bronsil noted. “With increased competition for the attention of full-time workers, stations must find ways to stay in front of this important constituency.”
- “This shows how consumers value and want to root for local radio. Listeners count on radio for things that DSPs can’t do or don’t do very well,” commented Hal Rood.
2. In an age of increasing audio choice, radio’s ease of use is an important driver of why listeners perceive themselves using radio more now than prior to the pandemic.
“The overall sense of the study is that while radio is challenged by DSPs like Spotify, radio has unique advantages that consumers value and one of them is how easy it is,” Rood remarked. “They turn it on and enjoy well-curated content. That is why they keep coming back to local radio.”
“As our listeners’ subscription fees rise for their entertainment choices, the free element of radio continues to be a driver for consumption,” explained Bronsil. “Being that free at-work companion has benefits.”
3. Full-time workers who commute are driving radio’s usage. Local radio wins nearly 2:1 among full-time workers while they commute, but radio is more challenged among part-time workers. In addition, radio wins over DSPs like Spotify 3:1 in the car, but loses 2:1 in at-home usage.
Rood commented, “Just as we see in Nielsen, “What Workers Want” shows that full-time workers who commute drive radio usage. Our study shows that full-time workers use radio more, but their workday habits have changed and radio is challenged in the office and work site locations like never before.”
“Our clients are finding new ways to bridge that gap from the commuting behavior,” said Bronsil. “Social paid campaigns to those full-time workers showcasing the attributes of the brand followed by geo fence digital campaigns around key businesses have been very effective.”
4. One out of four workers who are likely to participate in an audience ratings survey feels that contests would motivate them to listen MORE to local radio.
Bronsil noted, “This is not a surprise. From the amount of web entries, text entries, and social interaction around contest posts we see, there is still a big reason to execute contesting. In later studies, we will talk about the nuances of contesting and what drives engagement.”
“We’re in a renaissance for contesting,” said Hal Rood, Partner at Strategic Solutions Research. “Our company has never seen as high a level of enthusiasm for contests as we see in our research now. It makes sense given the success of Mr. Beast over the years and the interest Gen Z and Millennials have in game play.”
The other brand attractors for radio will be revealed in part one of “What Workers Want” on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
The next webinars:
- Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 2pm ET | Part 2: The Workday and Headphone Usage
- Thursday, May 2, 2024, 2pm ET | Part 3: Contesting, Marketing, and a Profile of Likely Ratings Participants
Click here to sign up to attend the “What Workers Want” webinar series:
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com